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Livorno to Lucca: Coach Day or Small Van With a Winery?
Going from Livorno to Lucca on a port day means a 7-hour coach day at $38 per person or a 7-8 hour small van day with a winery lunch at $179.49 per person, and both add a stop at Pisa. This guide compares the two, covers the train alternative and shows what you can see in Lucca and Pisa in the time each day gives you.
Quick answer Coach or van, and what each day gives you
The coach day costs $38 per person for 7 hours, with about 3 hours in Lucca and 1 hour 45 minutes in Pisa. The van day costs $179.49 per person for 7-8 hours in a group of up to 15, with pickup under the ship and a winery lunch. The Walls of Lucca are 4.2 km round and free to walk.
Key takeaways
- Lowest price, most time in Lucca: Bus Transfer to Pisa and Lucca from Cruise Port at $38 per person.
- Pickup under the ship and a winery lunch: Lucca tour and Pisa Tower + WineTasting by van from Livorno Port at $179.49 per person.
- Rated 4.5 from 739 reviews, the coach day is the most reviewed way from Livorno to Lucca by bus.
- Florence, Pisa and every other day from the port on livorno florence tours.
Livorno to Lucca Tours You Can Book
Both days visit Lucca and Pisa from the Livorno port. One is a shared coach, the other a small van with a winery stop.
from $38
Two towns
Pisa and Lucca Bus Transfer from Livorno Cruise Port
Lucca and Pisa in one coach day: about 3 hours inside the walls of Lucca and 1 hour 45 minutes in Pisa.
Check Availability
from $179.49
Small van
Lucca, Pisa and Wine Tasting by Van from Livorno Port
Lucca, a winery lunch with tasting and the Leaning Tower, in a van of up to 15 that waits under the ship.
Check AvailabilityCoach or van: which way should I go from Livorno to Lucca?
Take the coach for the lowest price and the longest time in Lucca, and the van for pickup at the ship, a small group and a winery lunch.
This table compares the two days by price, size, pickup and what you see.
The two days side by side
The coach gives more free time in both towns. The van gives a smaller group, a door at the ship and a lunch with wine, but sees the Leaning Tower from outside only.
| Feature | Coach day | Van day |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $38 per person | $179.49 per person |
| Length | 7 hours | 7-8 hours |
| Group | Shared coach | Van, up to 15 |
| Pickup | Via Claudio Cogorano, after the port shuttle | Under the ship |
| Lucca | About 3 hours free, guided walk optional | Inside the walls |
| Pisa | 1 hour 45 minutes, Tower climb optional | Leaning Tower from outside |
| Rating | 4.5 from 739 reviews | 4.8 from 37 reviews |
Source: Porto di Livorno 2000.
The green rampart of the Lucca walls above the old town. Photo: Zairon, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Is there a bus from Livorno to Lucca and Pisa?
Yes, the Bus Transfer to Pisa and Lucca from Cruise Port is a 7-hour coach day at $38 per person.
The coach leaves from Shore Experience on Via Claudio Cogorano in Livorno, not from the ship. The port operator runs a shuttle bus from the ship to downtown for the whole stay of your ship, and the coach price does not cover it.
How the coach day runs
After the shuttle into town, you board a coach with Wi-Fi and commentary in several languages. Lucca comes first, with about 3 hours of free time and an optional one-hour guided walk past the main monuments. Then Pisa, with 1 hour 45 minutes at Piazza dei Miracoli and an optional ticket to climb the Tower.
Return to the ship on time is guaranteed. If the ship cannot dock at Livorno, the ticket is fully refunded. Departure times can move to match cruise arrivals, so confirm yours with the operator. Lunch is not included.
Source: Porto di Livorno 2000.
Why choose the small van with a winery stop?
The Lucca tour and Pisa Tower + WineTasting by van from Livorno Port picks you up under the ship and adds a winery lunch, at $179.49 per person.
The van holds up to 15 people and needs your cruise ship's name when you book. Land assistants at the info point beside each ship speak English, Spanish, French and German if you need help finding it.
What the van day includes
The van drives through the hills of Tuscany to Lucca, inside the city walls. Lunch is a light meal at a Tuscan winery, with a wine tasting, some food and a short tour of the cellar. Bottled water and alcoholic drinks are included. Tell the operator about allergies or food needs when you book.
The last stop is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, seen from outside the site only. If you want to climb it, the coach day sells the climb as an option.
Can you get from Livorno to Lucca by train?
Yes, with a change at Pisa, where the regional train from Livorno Centrale arrives after about 15 to 17 minutes.
Pisa Centrale is 20 km from Livorno Centrale on the regional line. A train leaving Livorno at 07.30 reaches Pisa at 07.45.
Doing it on your own
Check the Pisa to Lucca connection on Trenitalia for your date before you leave the ship, since you need the shuttle into town and a ride to Livorno Centrale first. At the other end it is easy: Lucca station is about 200 metres from the walls entrance across the San Colombano bastion, and Porta San Pietro is about 300 metres away.
Going alone means watching the clock against all-aboard. The coach day guarantees the return to the ship, the train does not.
Source: Lucca Tourism.
What can you do in Lucca in 3 hours?
Walk the full circuit of the walls in about 45 minutes to an hour, climb the Guinigi Tower and wander the centre inside them.
The Walls of Lucca are 4.2 kilometres long. The current Renaissance walls were built from 1544 to 1650, and they are free to access and fully walkable.
A Lucca plan for a port day
At a brisk pace the walls take 45 minutes to walk, and about an hour at a relaxed pace. Do the circuit first, then drop into the centre.
The Guinigi Tower climb is 230 steps to the tree garden at the top. The coach day's Lucca stop also lists Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, the Basilica of San Frediano, Piazza San Michele and the house of Giacomo Puccini.
Source: Lucca Tourism.
What should you know about the Pisa stop?
The Tower runs on timed tickets with no reduced price, and children who will not have turned 8 by the end of the year cannot climb it.
The Piazza dei Miracoli monumental complex has been a World Heritage Site since 1987. The coach day gives you 1 hour 45 minutes there, and the van day sees the Tower from outside.
Tower rules
Tower tickets are for a set time chosen at purchase, and a late visitor is refused entry without refund. You can change the time, not the date, or cancel up to 2 hours before. The visit takes about 30 minutes and includes 251 steps. Under 18s must be with an adult.
Bags go in the free cloakroom, and a bag you keep must not exceed 20x30x38 cm. Any ticket gives a free pass to the Cathedral. Public toilets near the square cost $1.11 (€1) per person by card and are free with any paid ticket.
Sources: OPA Pisa, OPA Pisa, Visit Tuscany.
Livorno to Lucca Questions
Can you do Pisa and Lucca in one day from Livorno?
Yes. Bus Transfer to Pisa and Lucca from Cruise Port gives about 3 hours in Lucca and 1 hour 45 minutes in Pisa in a 7-hour day.
Does the Livorno to Lucca coach include the port shuttle?
No. The shuttle from the cruise terminal to the city centre is not included in Bus Transfer to Pisa and Lucca from Cruise Port.
Can I climb the Leaning Tower on the van day?
No. Lucca tour and Pisa Tower + WineTasting by van from Livorno Port sees the Tower from outside only. The coach day sells the climb as an option.
Is Lucca walkable from the station?
Yes. The station is about 200 metres from the walls entrance. Other ways to spend the port day are on livorno florence tours.
What if my ship cannot dock at Livorno?
On Bus Transfer to Pisa and Lucca from Cruise Port the ticket is fully refunded, and both days offer free cancellation 24h.
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